In Tuesday's New Hampshire primary, the race for the Republican nomination has primarily revolved around Donald Trump and Nikki Haley, with many seeing it as a two-person contest. Winning both the Iowa caucus and the open New Hampshire primary would make Trump the de facto nominee of the party. However, Haley may find a more favorable environment in New Hampshire, which has a smaller evangelical population and is home to more libertarians and independents. Recognizing the urgency to stop Trump, many institutional forces have thrown their support behind Haley's campaign. But some of these efforts may be backfiring and unintentionally aiding Trump's chances of winning.
In a phenomenon referred to as the 'sad irony,' members of the media and the Democratic Party who are most concerned about a second Trump term are acting in ways that make it more likely for him to succeed. An example of this is evident in the recent coverage of the Iowa caucus. While cable outlets provided extensive coverage throughout the night, they chose not to air Trump's acceptance speech. This decision to ignore Trump's electoral success may inadvertently tilt the scales in his favor and set a poor precedent for future coverage.
